FRENCH THOROUGHBREDS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXVIII, Issue 8247, 13 August 1887, Page 6

FRENCH THOROUGHBREDS.

A good many thoroughbred horses were imported by the French in the time of Philippe Egalite, among others one by Eclipse and another by Matchem, as well as a daughter of Marske. Louis Philippe again encouraged racing; but bis son, the Due d’Orleans, may be said to have been the chief founder of racing in France. It was at his instigation that the famous racecourse was made at Chantilly, the Due d’Aumale being at that time a minor. This was in 1834. One year later the French Jockey Club was founded. Lord Henry Seymour, a son of the third Marquis of Hertford, was the first President. It is said that, fond as he was of so English a sport as racing, lord Henry never set foot in England throughout his life. One of the leading supporters of racing in France for forty years was the first treasurer of the French Jockey Club, M. Charles Lafitte, the great banker, who raced both in his own country and in ours under the name of Major Frydolin. Although Philippe Egalite ran horses in England before the first Revolution, " the invasion of England,” as the author calls it, did not begin on any considerable scale, so far as racing was concerned, until 1852. The English invasion of Prance, on the other hand, began some five years later still, when Fisherman, Saunterer, and Commotion crossed the Channel and discomfited the French. In the same year (1857) the course at Longchamps was opened, after more _ than £50,000 had been spent in laying it out. During the autumn a racing confederacy of some half-dozen princes and counts was broken up, and their stud was purchased by Baron Niviere. The year before the large stud of the celebrated M. Alexandre Aumont had been bought by Counc F. de Lagrange. Baron Niviere and Count Lagrange now possessed the most powerful stables in France, and in 1860 they joined their forces and formed what was called la grande ecurie, with Henry Jennings in charge of the French establishment at Morlaye and Tom Jennings in charge of the English one at Phantom Cottage, Newmarket. In the following yearthe stable won about £19,880 in France and £7440 in England ; but in the year after that it was not quite so successful, winning something over £14,000 in France and £6410 in England, and then, toward the close of the year 1862, the " big stable ” was broken up. Having dissolved partnership with Count Lagrange, Baron Niviere took to himself M. Charles Lafitte (Major Pridolin) as a racing ally. Count Lagrange might well bo content to be left alone with such flyers as Pille de I’Air and Gladiateur in hia possession, The performances of this pair are too well known to need repetition here. The winnings of Gladiateur in one year (£26,000) surpassed even those of Ormonde, but it is to be hoped that the latter may not turn out such a miserable failure at the stud as did the former. Gladiateur was purchased by Mr Blenkiron for 5800 guineas, and was sold at his sale for 7000 guineas. Besides Gladiateur, the French had two good horses about the same time in Vermont and Dollar (both of whom became famous sires) and a very smart mare in La Toucquec. —The Saturday Review.